L *5* 1 
much more foft and Tandy fubftance in Herculaneum, 
than in the places, where they dig it for ufe. 
The appearance of this city would greatly difap- 
point fuch, as fhould have railed their expectation to 
lee in it fpacious ftreets and fronts of houfes ; for they 
would find nothing but long narrow paflages, juft 
high enough to walk upright in, with a balket upon 
the head ; and wide enough for the workmen, who 
carry them, to pafs each other, with the dirt they 
dig out. There is a vaft number of thefe paflages, 
cut one out of another j fo that one might perhaps 
walk the fpace of two miles, by going up every 
turning. 
Their method of digging is this. Whenever they 
find a wall, they clear a paflage along the fide of it. 
When they come to an angle, they turn with it j and 
when they come to a door or a window, they make 
their way into it. But when they have fo done, they 
are far from finding themfelves in a fpacious room, 
or open area ; lor all the rooms and places they have 
yet found, are filled fo brimfuli with lava, that it 
flicks on to the fides of the walls ; and they can ad- 
vance no farther, than as they can make their way 
by digging : wnich is fuch infinite labour, that when 
they ceafe to find any thing worth their fearch, they 
fill up the place again, and begin to dig elfewhere. 
By which means no place is quite cleared, to the 
great grief of every one, who has the leaft lhare of 
curiofitv. But the king does not chufe to proceed 
in any other method. Confequently, it does not ap- 
pear bow many ftories high the houfes may be ; nor 
is any thing to be feen over the head but lava. In 
which lava are vaft numbers of burnt beams, that 
feem 
